Prthvi (पृथ्वी)

Prthvi (Samskrit:  पृथ्वी) or Earth is one of the five great elements or Panchamahabhutas, the others being Ap (water), teja (fire), Vayu (air) and Akasha (space). The creation is said to have originated from these five elements.

Introduction

The creation has originated from these five great elements. Earth, water, fire, air and sky are called the five great elements.

महन्तानि भूतानि महाभूतानि । mahantāni bhūtāni mahābhūtāni ।

Because of their importance or grossness, they are known as mahabhuta. The body of all living beings and non-living substances of this earth are made from them.

इह हि द्रव्यं पञ्चमहाभूतात्मकम् ।१७.२ iha hi dravyaṁ pañcamahābhūtātmakam ।17.2

Speaking of the evolution of the five great elements, the Taittiriya Upanishad says,

आकाशाद्वायुः । वायोरग्निः । अग्नेरापः । अद्भ्यः पृथिवी ।...॥ १ ॥

Meaning: Air originated from the sky, from air came fire, from fire came water and from water came earth.

So, earth is believed to have originated from water. The mahabhutas are considered eternal and each of them is said to have certain basic essential properties. And as they evolve from one another, their properties also expand.

So, shabda, touch, form, taste, smell are the five properties of earth which like the earth itself are everlasting in nature.

The manifestations of Sattva, Rajas, Tamas qualities are described in the five great elements. As per the nature of their qualities, the predominance of sattva quality in the sky, rajo quality in air, sattva and rajo quality in fire, sattva and Tamas qualities in aap (water) and tamas quality in the earth can be seen.

Five great elements Predominance of sattva, rajas, tamas

Sky Sattva predominance

Wind Rajas predominance

fire Sattva + Rajas predominance

aap Sattva + Tamas predominance

Earth tamas predominance

The entire universe is created by these five elements.

• The five great elements- Water, fire, air, sky and earth.

• The five great elements and their properties are continual.

• The creation of the universe is made from these five elements.

the Earth is one of the five great elements.

Amarakosha

समानार्थक:भू,भूमि,अचला,अनन्ता,रसा,विश्वम्भरा,स्थिरा,धरा,धरित्री,धरणि,क्षोणि,ज्या,काश्यपी,क्षिति,सर्वंसहा,वसुमती,वसुधा,उर्वी,वसुन्धरा,गोत्रा,कु,पृथिवी,पृथ्वी,क्ष्मा,अवनि,मेदिनी,मही,विपुला,गह्वरी,धात्री,गो,इला,कुम्भिनी,क्षमा,भूतधात्री,रत्नगर्भा,जगती,सागराम्बरा,इडा,भूत,इरा,रोदस्,रोदसी

2।1।3।2।4

सर्वंसहा वसुमती वसुधोर्वी वसुन्धरा। गोत्रा कुः पृथिवी पृथ्वी क्ष्मावनिर्मेदिनी मही॥ विपुला गह्वरी धात्री गौरिला कुम्भिनी क्षमा। भूतधात्री रत्नगर्भा जगती सागराम्बरा।

Shabdakalpadruma

पृथ्वी, स्त्री, (पृथुः स्थूलत्वगुणयुक्ता । “वोतो गुण- वचनात् ।” ४ । १ । ४४ । इति ङीष् ।) पृथिवी । (यथा, देवीभागवते । ३ । १३ । ८ । “मधुकैटभयोर्मेदसंयोगोत् मेदिनी स्मृता । धारणाच्च धरा प्रोक्ता पृथ्वी विस्तारयोगतः ॥”) पृथोर्दुहितृत्वस्वीकारादेतन्नाम । यथा, अग्नि- पुराणे । “दुहितृत्वमनुप्राप्ता देवी पृथ्वी तथोच्यते ॥” हिङ्गुपत्री । कृष्णजीरकः । इत्यमरः । २ । ९ । ३७, २ । ९ । ४० ॥ (एतस्याः पर्य्यायो यथा, -- “कृष्णजीरः सुगन्धश्च तथैवोद्गारशोधनः । कालाजाजीतु सुषवी कालिका चोपकालिका ॥ पृथ्वीका कारवी पृथ्वी पृथुः कृष्णोपकुञ्चिका । उपकुञ्ची च कुञ्ची च बृहज्जीरक इत्यपि ॥” इति भावप्रकाशस्य पूर्ब्बखण्डे प्रथमे भागे ॥) वृत्तार्हन्माता । इति हेमचन्द्रः ॥ पुनर्नवा । स्थूलैला । इति राजनिर्घण्टः ॥ (सप्तदशाक्षर- पादकश्च्छन्दोभेदः । इति छन्दोमञ्जरी ॥ अस्य लक्षणादिकं छन्दःशब्दे द्रष्टव्यम् ॥)

पृथिवी, स्त्री, (प्रथते विस्तारं यातीति । प्रथ + “प्रथेः षिवन् संप्रसारणञ्च ।” उणा० १ । १५० । इति षिवन् सम्प्रसारणञ्च । ङीष् ।) मर्त्त्याद्यधि- ष्ठानभूता । तत्पर्य्यायः । भूः २ भूमिः ३ अचला ४ अनन्ता ५ रसा ६ विश्वम्भरा ७ स्थिरा ८ धरा ९ धरित्री १० धरणी ११ क्षौणी १२ ज्या १३ काश्यपी १४ क्षितिः १५ सर्व्वंसहा १६ वसुमती १७ वसुधा १८ उर्व्वी १९ वसुन्धरा २० गोत्रा २१ कुः २२ पृथ्वी २३ क्ष्मा २४ अवनिः २५ मेदिनी २६ मही । इत्यमरः । २ । १ । २ -- ३ ॥ भूर् २८ भूमी २९ धरणिः ३० क्षोणिः ३१ क्षोणी ३२ क्षौणिः ३३ क्षमा ३४ अवनी ३५ महिः ३६ रत्नगर्भा ३७ सागराम्बरा ३८ अब्धिमेखला ३९ भूतधात्री ४० रत्नावती ४१ देहिनी ४२ पारा ४३ विपुला ४४ मध्यमलोक- वर्त्मा ४५ । इति भरतः ॥ धरणीधरा ४६ धारणी ४७ महाकान्ता ४८ जगद्वहा ४९ गन्धवती ५० खण्डनी ५१ गिरिकर्णिका ५२ धारयित्री ५३ धात्री ५४ सागरमेखला ५५ सहा ५६ अचलकीला ५७ गौः ५८ अब्धिद्बीपा ५९ द्विरा ६० इडा ६१ इडिका ६२ इला ६३ इलिका ६४ । इति शब्दरत्नावली ॥ उदधि- वस्त्रा ६५ इरा ६६ आदिमा ६७ ईला ६८ वरा ६९ उर्व्वरा ७० आद्या ७१ जगती ७२ पृथुः ७३ भुवनमाता ७४ निश्चला ७५ बीज- प्रसूः ७६ श्यामा ७७ क्रोडकान्ता ७८ । इति राजनिर्घण्टः ॥ खगवती ७९ अदितिः ८० । इति जटाधरः ॥ * ॥ (पृथवी ८१ । इति शब्दार्णषः ॥) न्यायमते अस्या धर्म्मः । रूप- द्रवत्वप्रत्यक्षयोगित्वम् । इयं गुर्व्वी रसयुक्ता च । अस्या द्रवत्वं नैमित्तिकम् । अस्या गुणाः । स्पर्शः १ संख्या २ परिमितिः ३ पृथक्त्वम् ४ संयोगः ५ विभागः ६ परत्वम् ७ अपरत्वम् ८ वेगः ९ द्रवत्वम् १० गुरुत्वम् ११ रूपम् १२ पृथुरप्यवदद्वाक्यमीप्सितं देहि सुव्रते ! । सर्व्वस्य जगतः शीघ्रं स्थावरस्य चरस्य च ॥ तथैव चाब्रवीद्भूमिदुंदोह च नराधिपः । स्वे स्वे पाणौ पृथुर्वत्सं कृत्वा स्वायम्भुवं मनुम् ॥ तदन्नमभवत् शुद्धं प्रजा जीवन्ति तेन वै । ततस्तु ऋषिभिर्दुग्धा वत्सः सोमस्तदाभवत् ॥ दोग्धा बृहस्पतिरभूत् पात्रं वेदस्तपो रसः । वेदैश्च वसुधा दुग्धा दोग्धा मित्रस्तदाभवत् ॥ इन्द्रो वत्सः समभवत् क्षीरमूर्ज्जस्करं बलम् । देवानां काञ्चनं पात्रं पितॄणां राजतन्तदा ॥ अन्तकश्चाभवद्दोग्धा यमो वत्सः सुधारसः । अलावुपात्रं नागानां तक्षको वत्सकोऽभवत् ॥ विषं क्षीरं ततो दोग्धा धृतराष्ट्रोऽभवत् पुनः । असुरैरपि दुग्धेयमायसे शक्रपीडनीम् ॥ पात्रे मायामभूद्वत्सः प्रह्रादिश्च विरोचनः । दोग्धा द्बिमूर्द्धा तत्रासीन्माया येन प्रवर्त्तिताः ॥ यक्षैश्च वसुधा दुग्धा पुरान्तर्द्धानमीप्सुभिः । कृत्वा वैश्रवणं वत्समामपात्रे महीपते ! ॥ प्रेतरक्षोगणैर्दुग्धा धरा रुचिरमुल्वणम् । रौप्यलाभोऽभवद्दोग्धा सुमाली वत्स एव तु ॥ गन्धर्व्वैश्च पुनर्दुग्धा वसुधा चाप्सरोगणैः । वतसं चैत्ररथं कृत्वा गन्धान् पद्मदले तथा ॥ दोग्धा च सुरुचिर्नाम नाट्यवेदस्य पारगः । गिरिभिर्वसुधा दुग्धा रत्नानि विविधानि च ॥ औषधानि च दिव्यानि दोग्धा मेरुर्महाबलः । वत्सोऽभूद्धिमवांस्तत्र पात्रं शैलमयं पुनः ॥ वृक्षैश्च वसुधा दुग्धा क्षीरं छिन्नप्ररोहणम् । पालाशपात्रे दोग्धा तु सालः पुष्पदलाकुलः ॥ प्लक्षोऽभवत्ततो वत्सः सर्व्ववृक्षगणाधिपः । एवमन्यैश्च वसुधा तथा दुग्धा यथेप्सितम् ॥” इति मत्स्यपुराणे १० अध्यायः ॥ * ॥ अन्यद्विवरणं भूगोलशब्दे द्रष्टव्यम् ॥ पृथ्वी । तद्वैदिकपर्य्यायः । गौः १ ग्मा २ ज्मा ३ क्ष्मा ४ क्षा ५ क्षामा ६ क्षोणी ७ क्षितिः ८ अवनिः ९ ऊर्व्वी १० पृथ्वी ११ मही १२ रिपः १३ अदितिः १४ इला १५ निरृतिः १६ भूः १७ भूमिः १८ पूषा १९ गातुः २० गोत्रा २१ । इत्येकविंशतिपृथिवीनामधेयानि । इति वेद- निघण्टौ १ अध्यायः ॥ (अन्तरिक्षम् । इति निघण्टुः । १ । ३ ॥ यथा, ऋग्वेदे । १० । १२१ । १ । “स दाधार पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमां कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥” “पृथिवीत्यन्तरिक्षनाम ।” इति तद्भाष्ये सायनः ॥)

Preservation of the Earth

In our ancient knowledge tradition, there was a lot of emphasis for the preservation of the earth. It is said in the Vedas that ¶ekrkHkwfe% iq=kks¿g¡i`fpO;k%¸ meaning that the earth is our mother, it is as nutritious as mother and I am its protector like a son.

In the Aranyani Sukta of the Rigveda, the sage says that ¶u okv[;kfugaUaUaURlUJ~p~p=kfHkxPNfr¸ meaning that those who love and know the importance of forests never destroy the forests nor do any other violence towards such forest lovers. Here the sage of the Rigveda is saying that we should conserve our natural resources.

The Atharva sage in the Atharvaveda has set a unique example for the earth -

( 12.1.35 )

That is, O land! I wish whichever of your part I dig, that should fill itself again. O discoverable earth! I should never harm your heart nor make your heart sad.

In Vedic culture, small components of the environment have been considered superior in specific condition. And it has been said that just as parents nurture their children, so do the land and solar system-

(Rigveda 6.51.5)

Land Conservation in the Vedas

Earth is the only place that has nourished and protected biodiversity. ¶ekrk Hkwfwfwfe% iq=q=kks¿sge~ i`f`fFkR;k%¸ Conservation of land in the Vedas is inherent in the protection of the mother's land. Even in the Earth Sukta of the Atharvaveda it has been said that in order to protect the land, we should be ready for self-sacrifice -¶o;a rq';a cfyâr%L;keA¸

the importance of conserving land in the Vedas;

the basic spirit of the Vedas for conservation of land.

In Vedic culture there is a lot of emphasis on conservation of land. The Earth Sukta of the Atharvaveda is note worthy in this subject-

(Atharvaveda-12.1.35)

That is, O land! If I dig any part of you, it should be filled immediately. O discoverable earth! I won't do anything that will either hurt your heart or harm you.

This personal prayer towards the earth shows how sensitive the Vedic sage is to the earth. If we keep this kind of sensation in our minds, then the conservation of the land will be done by itself.

According to the Vedas, the earth is our shelter. It nurtures us and takes care of us. Therefore it is our responsibility to protect it. In the Atharvaveda, the sage says, O land! As long as I see your various forms with the yam sun, till then my vision should not destroy the best and good action.

(Atharvaveda 12.01.33)

The sage here wishes for the preservation of the various forms of the earth.

Atharva, the sage of the Rigveda says that we should protect the earth because this earth nourishes us, protects our wealth, has a firm foundation, has gold in itself, is always moving, provides happiness to all, is nurturing fire; such land which considers Indra as prime, will protect us amidst the power of money -

(Atharvaveda 12.01.6)

The sage of the Atharvaveda expresses his concern for the preservation of the Earth and says that O Earth! May we be healthy in your lap. Keep ourselves prepared for sacrifice while sustaining the life of our metals. Here the sage talks about sacrificing our lives for the protection of the Earth.

(Atharvaveda 12.1.62)

The sage of the Arthavaveda warns that if the earth is not preserved in time, then the human species should be prepared to suffer the vicious cycle because just as the horse shakes off the dust particles, in the same way earth, the planet, the protector of the world, the receptive earth of flora and medicines, has always shaken those humans who do not conserve it and harm it

(Atharvaveda 12.1.57)

The sage of the Rigveda accorded the status of mother to the earth.

(Rigveda 1.164.23)

That is, the sky is my father, the fraternity is my navel, and this earth is my mother who is the greatest.

In the Vrihdarnpakopanisd , Yajnavalkya explains to the sage Maitreyi that this earth is the soul of all the bhut (core elements) and all bhut are in the middle of this earth.

(Vrihadaranyakopanishad 2.5)

When the Vedic sages are so conscious about the preservation of the earth, then we should not over-exploit nature, but rather emphasize the preservation of the earth.

Mahatma Gandhi also said that the nature is capable of fulfilling our needs but not in fulfilling anyone's greed. Here, Gandhi ji gives more indication to stop the over exploitation of nature and says that if the nature is used by inclusive conservation, then all the needs of human species can be fulfilled.

We should be conscious of the environment around us, exploitation of land and conserve the earth as much as possible.

Conservation of the Earth in Vedas

Importance of Conservation of earth

Puranic Encyclopedia

The name

Prthu by the end of his bow put in arrangement at one place the thousands of mountains which were lying scattered over the country. The grounds were not even and so there were formerly no divisions into villages and towns. There were no grain-plants like paddy or wheat, no agriculture, no cow-protection and no trade. It was since the time of Prthu that all these came into being. People desired to live in places where the grounds were even. Then the people lived on fruits, leaves and roots. When they were all destroyed people found it difficult to live. Therefore Prthu making Svayambhuva Manu as calf milked for the welfare of his people all plants from the earth. People do live even today by what was milked then. Prthu, because he gave life to BhumidevI, became her father and she got the name Prthvi.  (Page 609, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi)

Bhumi

The Puranas maintain that Bhumi has a Devi (goddess). The births of Bhumi and its basic goddess are in two different ways. The Mahabharata, (Daksinatya Patha) says that the goddess Bhumi was the daughter of Brahma and that she was married by Mahavisnu. The earth on which we live is the Mrtpinda of which the basic deity is this Bhumidevi. Of the many versions given in the Puranas regarding the origin of earth, three are given below:

1) Long ago, towards the end of the age of floods, the earth was in a liquid state. At that time, Siva cut open his thigh and let fall a drop of blood in the water. It assumed the form of an "anda" (egg). Siva took that anda and split it. A man came out of it. From him was made Nature (Prakrti) for the creation of the Universe. One half of the broken anda became sky and the other half became the earth. (Kathasaritsagara, Kathaplthalambaka, 2nd Taraiiga ) .

(2) Mahavisnu lay on the surface of water which spread everywhere in the beginning. A lotus sprang up from the navel of Visnu and from its top Brahma was born. Liquid matter began to flow out of Visnu's ears on both sides. From it were born two Raksasas named Madhu and Kaitabha. They persecuted Brahma. Mahavisnu woke up and killed Madhu and Kaitabha. The thick fat of these Raksasas hardened into the earth. (Devi Bhagavata, Navama Skandha).

3) In the beginning Mahavisnu (Mahavirat Purusa) spread everywhere. In every pore of that Mahavirat who was lying on the surface of the water, there was a Brahmanda. In course of time that Virat obtained mind. That mind stood connected with each of the pores equally. Later from it were formed the "Pancamahabhutas". From their combination was formed the Bhuta called "Maha Prthvi". It was cut into many pieces and each of the pieces was deposited in each pore. It was these Prthvi pieces which became "Bhumis” at the time of creation. At the time of the floods, these Bhumis sank again into those pores as before. In each of these Brahmandas, there are the earth, mountains, forests, oceans, the seven islands, Himavan, Meru, Sun, Moon, Stars and other lokas. Also, each of them has its own Brahma, Visnu, Siva and other Devas. Since all the different Bhumis in all the Brahmandas had been formed artificially, they all perish in the floods. (Devi Bhagavata, Navama Skandha).

-- Above text from Page 142, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi

Prthvi

Prthvi - The characteristic of this padartha is smell. Prthvi is of two kinds, Nitya (eternal) and Anitya (perishable). Nitya is in the form of atom (paramynu) and anitya in the form of Kiirya. They are classified into body, sense organs and objects. (Page 547, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi)